ORR starts consultation on Rail Ombudsman

The Office of Rail and Road is asking the public to help shape the future of redress and dispute resolution for passengers.

It has launched a consultation on the future Rail Ombudsman which will move into the ORR’s oversight, in line with the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail. Currently, responsibility lies with the Rail Delivery Group, and has done since 2018.

• Speedier access to Rail Ombudsman being consulted on by rail regulator
• ORR says it has plan to ramp up holding to account of Network Rail and National Highways
• New Rail Ombudsman launches

ORR says its undertaking of the responsibility for the ombudsman will play a role in “reinforcing the scheme’s independence”.

The consultation contains:

• proposals for an operating model for the future Rail Ombudsman, which specifies the functions it will perform and to what standard, as well as the way it will be constituted, governed and held to account; and
• proposed licence modifications required as part of the ORR sponsorship process.

Feedback ORR will inform the specification for a competitive tender process later in 2022 where it will identify a not-for-profit provider of the new model Rail Ombudsman.

The winner of this competition is expected in early 2023.

Click here for the consultation

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